No matter how many books you read, how many exams you give, and how many trainings you take, you’ll still find yourself struggling with real-life challenges in your professional field.
Theoretical education and learning help you understand the concepts, but you simply can’t get the benefit of practical, experiential learning through books.
This is where Scenario-Based Learning (SBL) comes into the picture. With Scenario-Based Leaning, you learn real-life lessons through interactive scenarios that are based on real-life situations, and you’re required to act just like you would, in reality, using your skills. Scenario-Based Learning is a form of online learning where the learners are placed in simulated situations based on real-life events and challenges, and the learners have to find solutions just like they would in real life. Scenario-Based Learning is one the best ways to integrate situated practical learning into traditional concepts, making it one of the most promising learning methodologies.
Scenario-Based Learning (SBL) is a dynamic approach that engages learners in real-world situations. In this article, we will explore five effective examples of SBL that can transform your teaching and enhance the learning experience. But before we dive into these scenarios, it's worth mentioning another innovative tool for immersive education – 360-degree videos. If you're interested in creating immersive learning experiences using 360-degree videos, check out our previously published article on the topic Creating Immersive Learning Experiences Using 360-Degree Videos
Key elements of scenario-based learning
There are 5 key elements of Scenario-Based Learning, which are often referred to as 5 Cs. These 5 Cs of SBL are as follows:
Context
The scene is set based on the context of the situation, which gives learners are chance to read or understand the situation.
Challenge
The learner is exposed to a challenge or problem within the set context. It could be anything, from facing completion time constraints or dealing with a difficult workplace situation.
Choices
The learner is presented with numerous choices at various points in the set situation. Every choice will lead to different outcomes and consequences.
Consequences
The learner faces the consequences based on their choices during the experience. The consequences can be positive or negative. This gives learners an idea of what their choices could mean in real-life situations.
Reflection
The learner is asked to contemplate at the end. The learner is asked to reflect on the situation, how they acted, how they could have improved the outcomes, and provide feedback.
Once a Scenario-Based Learning course is complete, the learner would already know how to tackle a real-life situation because they’ve already been through a similar simulated situation.
How can scenario-based learning benefit you?
Scenario-Based Learning is a modern, experiential learning model which can benefit you in numerous ways. Below are some ways in which you can benefit from Scenario-Based Learning modules.
Create authentic experiences
The first and most noteworthy benefit of Scenario-Based Learning is the authenticity of experiences. Real-life situations are created through interactive graphics. The experience is more of a story with people, emotions, challenges, and difficulties. The learner must make decisions based on situations very close to how situations would be in real life.
A graphical representation of real-life situations delivers a learning experience that gives the learners a hands-on experience of dealing with real-life challenges without actually having to face them.
The best thing about Scenario-Based Learning is that the scenarios are relevant to the learner’s job, and it aligns thoroughly with how a particular business operates. The module consists of videos, images, and other forms of media to enhance the overall learning experience by making it more interactive.
As a result, when an individual finds themselves in a similar situation in real life, they’re able to steer their way through it more confidently and smartly.
Learn in a safe environment
Another notable benefit of Scenario-Based Learning is that you get an opportunity to learn practical things without exposing yourself to any safety hazards. For example, if you’re an engineer and have learned how to operate machines in books, a Scenario-Based Learning module will enable you to learn to actually operate the machine without putting yourself at risk of injury. So, when you finally start working on machines, you already know how to operate them. This is just one example of how Scenario-Based Learning offers a safe learning environment.
Boost learner confidence
As we said earlier, no matter how well you studied the theory, you’ll only learn practical skills when you apply them. This is where Scenario-Based Learning helps you. This form of online learning sets up challenging situations where the learner has to implement the theoretical skills that they’ve already learned, make decisions, and learn practicality. The learners are also given feedback that they can use to improve their practical skills before actually stepping into real-life situations. This ensures that you’re absolutely confident when you start a practical job because you’re past the barrier of having no practical experience.
Scenario-Based Learning enables you to achieve higher proficiency, improve your decision-making, and understand how your choices and decisions will impact you. Not only this, but you’ll also be able to deal with the consequences of your choices better.
Speed up the learning journey
Scenario-Based Learning speeds up the learning journey. When you start a new job, it’ll take you some time to learn to implement what you learned in real-life situations. You’ll take your time to become confident in professional settings. However, if you’ve been through Scenario-Based Learning, you’ll already be aware of what your professional setting will be like and how you’ll have to move around and work. This means that when you finally join work, you’ll already be aware of how the workplace operates and how you’re supposed to engage with your coworkers and go about your job role. This results in you reaching your maximum productivity and efficiency faster.
Effective and impactful examples of scenario-based learning
The best thing about Scenario-Based Learning is that the scenarios can be designed for different settings to cater to individuals of all fields.
Let’s have a look at 5 of the most effective and impactful examples of Scenario-Based Learning to understand how it helps individuals from different professional environments to excel.
Health and safety compliance training
For most individuals, compliance and safety training is boring. There are so many rules, protocols, and SOPs that one has to understand and learn. However, it’s mandatory training that everyone has to go through. One can’t gain access to a piece of equipment or site before going through health and safety compliance training. Now, the challenge here is that since it’s boring, many people lose interest and often fail to remember important pointers.
This is one of the examples of Scenario-Based Learning where the newly joined employees get hands-on experience moving about the site. The employees meet the seniors and individuals from different departments virtually during this learning module and learn about health and safety compliance from them. The dialogues make the session more interactive and interesting for the newly joined employees. Since learning through this method steers more interest, the new employees learn more and retain what they’ve learned better. The topics of health and compliance training that are boring can be made interesting and engaging through Scenario-Based Learning.
Safety is a concerning matter for employees of all departments. Scenario-Based Learning also aids individuals in understanding safety protocols better, especially when one has to operate machines. The learning modules are done around real-world situations. The learners are exposed to safety risks and learn to deal with them to ensure their safety isn’t compromised. For example, if your job requires you to operate a machine, you can learn to actually operate it safely with Scenario-Based Learning so that when you operate it in real life, you already know the safety protocols that you need to follow.
Deciphering dialogue and applying soft skills
Another effective example of Scenario-Based Learning is where the learners have to get into dialogues with their coworkers and apply their soft skills where needed. Books and training may teach you various soft skills but you’ll actually learn them when you apply them practically. With Scenario-Based Learning, you’ll be presented with various situations where you’ve got to engage in dialogue with your coworkers and apply your soft skills to get things done.
You’ll learn what consequences certain ways you act at work have. You’ll have to make choices and see what’s the outcome of each choice and how you can improve the outcome by changing your choice. When you’re at work, you may not know how a certain choice that you make may play out for you. However, if you’ve been through Scenario-Based Learning, you’ll have an idea of how your choices will play out, which will help you make smarter choices on-ground.
Managing medical emergencies
One of the biggest challenges one has to face is managing medical emergencies. This is particularly relevant to healthcare professionals. In this profession, there’s little to no room for error. Even the slightest mistake can lead to grave consequences. One of the most impactful examples of Scenario-Based Learning is managing medical emergencies. Individuals learn to tackle various medical emergencies. Unlike real life, if an individual makes a wrong decision, it won’t result in the consequences that would otherwise result in reality. Scenario-Based Learning allows medical professionals to fail safely.
Medical professionals can also learn to operate different medical equipment through Scenario-Based Learning so that they don’t have to do any trial and error on actual patients.
Learning workplace ethics
Workplace ethics is one thing that a lot of individuals fail to understand and practice. Most people behave rather selfishly at work because they want to get their work done, even if it means walking over someone else. People lack empathy and humanity, and there’s no way you can learn work ethics than practicing it practically.
This is another example of Scenario-Based Learning. Individuals can learn work ethics through a series of virtual settings where individuals have to deal with situations and coworkers. These modules are role-played scenarios where the learner has to tackle situations ethically. They can also role-play as someone else to see how their decisions and behavior affected others.
Through the Scenario-Based Learning module for learning workplace ethics, you can learn to act more ethically in workplaces.
Learning to work under pressure
One of the most effective examples of Scenario-Based Learning is learning to work under pressure. Many individuals panic when they’re under pressure at work. The pressure could be tight deadlines, a difficult task, or a presentation for new clients. Through Scenario-Based Learning, you can learn to work under pressure without losing your calm. Since nothing is really at stake in a Scenario-Based Learning situation, you can take chances. Your choices will give you lessons that will help you in real life. Not everyone is able to make the right decisions under pressure, and this is exactly what Scenario-Based Learning will teach you.
When you know how to work under pressure and manage work-related stress, you’ll be able to excel professionally and not let work pressure get better of your productivity.
In addition to these five examples, it's important to consider the broader landscape of interactive learning methods. Interactive videos, for instance, offer an exciting way to engage learners.
Final thoughts on scenario-based learning
Scenario-Based Learning is the latest breakthrough in the field of education and learning that offers the next-level experience to learners. It ensures that the learners are able to implement what they’ve learned into practical life without the stress of facing the consequences in real life. But they also get to know what their choices can lead to if it is a real-life situation. As a result, the learner is more cautious and smarter when they’re actually in a similar situation in reality.
The best thing about Scenario-Based Learning is the fact that it can be implemented in any field of any nature. The versatility of this model is what makes it such a valuable learning tool.